TAMPA, Fla. — April is the official month to celebrate autism awareness and acceptance, but the college basketball season ends in early April. So the USF men's and women's programs decide to kick start the process by dedicating each of their games this week, on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, to the cause of autism awareness.
Scott Fontechia is the program coordinator for Launch at USF, a sister program of CARD, the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.
"It means the world," he said when discussing the help of USF athletics to promote awareness. "Being able to have an impact across different campuses, across the school system. Upwards of 50,000 students and so many employees. Having this kind of- almost like a megaphone- it’s incredible."
One of the goals of the program is to make people with autism feel comfortable in any environment they choose.
"We have a huge focus on that accessibility piece and that inclusion piece," he added. "And CARD has partnered not only with the University but with the city of Tampa overall to make a lot of spaces more accessible."
USF student Isabella Mariani was diagnosed with autism when she was a teenager. She took part in Launch, and now she mentors other people making their way through the program. She credits Launch with giving her a positive push in the right direction.
"I was able to make connections with other students and also use the experience I have of working with disabled people and communities and making my own community for a really long time," she said before Tuesday's women's game vs. UAB. "It’s really cool to be able to go to a program that was like, 'What are you actually interested in? What are your skills? How can you use this to go to a path that you’re interested in?' Not a path that people have already given you. That isn’t exactly what you want. It was a really good opportunity for me."
USF interim men's head coach Ben Fletcher is dedicating Wednesday's game to basketball administrative specialist Barbara Riffe. Riffe handles a ton of behind-the-scenes work for both programs. She also helps raise two grandsons living with autism.
"I love that woman to death. She keeps me organized," Fletcher said after Tuesday's practice. "This beard is probably not fully gray because of her. Definitely hoping that we can help spread some awareness of autism and do this for her."
"I felt like my purpose is just to be their grandmother," Riffe said in an interview with USF athletics. "Like I was put on this earth to be their grandmother and just to help out any possible way I can. "
One of Riffe's grandsons attends FACE - the Florida Autism Center of Excellence. It's the only tuition-free public school in the Tampa Bay area for people ages 3 to 22 who are living with autism.
"We provide the academic, behavioral, social, emotional, vocational, functional skills that these students need for a more independent and higher quality of life," said FACE principal Sydney Jackson. She added that part of inclusion and acceptance is having people with autism be able to enjoy the same things as everyone else- especially Bulls basketball games.
"They’re great for the students to be able to practice new sights and smells and sounds in a safe and supported environment," she beamed. "And that means a lot for their families, too, who want to see their students enjoy the special things that come from being in a community."
For more information visit: https://www.faceprogram.org/and https://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu/
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